draw a straight line
by holographic
Summary: Dick goes missing without a trace. Wally's the only one who can't give up. / fill at the yj anon meme. no pairings.


_written for a prompt on the yj kink meme. "A member of the team goes missing. When all others have given up on ever finding them again, one person continues to search."  
_

_filled a long time ago, and I'm only now de-anoning. apologizes for any typos.  
_

_this was written long before any canon pairings were confirmed or any huge plot twists happened, and that's why neither of either are mentioned._

* * *

**draw a straight line**

When Rob fails to show up for a movie night, no one's worried. Wally complains a bit (he _had_ wanted to see the Boy Wonder, after all, but he can live another day without him), and M'gann is eventually the one who pipes up, "Maybe he's with Batman?" Kaldur nods, and Conner crosses his arm, letting himself sink into the couch more. Wally shoves another handful of popcorn into his mouth.

When Rob doesn't show up for a mission they're assigned by Red Tornado (which, in of itself was weird, considering how Red Tornado always insisted that Batman assigned missions) - well, that's when Wally feels a little bit of panic. He tries to laugh it off, but when he sees M'gann's eyes flash, the down set of Artemis's lips, and the frown on Conner's face -

Kaldur murmurs, "Perhaps we should ask Batman for Robin's whereabouts."

It takes several days to get a hold of Batman. Each time they ask Red Tornado, they receive a clipped, "He is busy at the moment; it will have to wait."

The man himself finally shows up four days after the mission, and Wally can't help but be relieved to see him, because, well - he's not sure he has much finger left on either hand to chew. His words the exact opposite of reassuring, however.

"Robin's missing," he says shortly, walking past the team and going to the computer. He clicks a few buttons and a map pops up on screen, a blinking red dot on a building top. Kaldur looks at it for a few seconds before turning to Batman.

"This is his last known location."

Wally chews on his lip, trying to keep his nervous jittering to a minimum. It's a test, it has to be. Batman was supposed to be the world's best detective or something, right? So there was no way they would find anything he hadn't found, so there was no reason for him to be showing them if this wasn't a test and - _oh god please let it just be a test_.

"Yes. You are to go an search every last inch of it." Batman's voice is - Wally doesn't even know. It's like being punched in the solar plexus (which is a terrible feeling, he'd know).

"Haven't you - " Conner starts, but a look from Kaldur and Batman and Artemis makes him frown deeper and close his mouth. In response to his not finished question, however, Batman takes something out of a pocket in his belt - an evidence bag with a shred of Robin's cape.

"I have. But you're going to check again."

.

Gotham is - cold. Cold and dark and Wally hops from foot to foot, keeping warm. He doesn't need thick clothes.

"Why do you think he sent us?" Artemis stands with her hands on her hips, looking up at the building. "You'd think he'd already have the Justice League all over this."

"Maybe he thinks we know Robin enough to - see something?" M'gann falters, but Wally has to admit he admires how she keeps a small smile on her face. He throws them all a grin.

"Maybe we're just awesome?"

Artemis rolls her eyes, scoffing, and follows Conner and Kaldur to the top of the building. M'gann smiles wider, but her eyes are still crinkled at the edges, and she floats after them.

Wally runs through every floor of the building; it feels nice to let the built up anxiety out. Some of it, at least. It wasn't like Rob to just disappear for - how long had it even been now? Four days? - however long. He was more responsible than that. In fact, he was annoyingly responsible. Wally zipped through another room several times and spotted nothing, so he kept moving.

When he finally reached the roof, no one was having much more luck. M'gann was scanning nearby rooftops with Artemis as Conner scanned the current rooftop with his supervision or whatever - Kaldur walked over to Wally and asked, worry obvious on his face, "Have you found anything?"

Opening his mouth, the speedster finds it is much more dry than he remembered it being, so he swallows, before saying, "No. Sorry."

Kaldur offers him a slight smile, strained, and pats his shoulder. "There must be something. I am sure that we will find it."

Wally nods, and tries to believe him. He cracks him a grin and says, "Of course!"

By the end of the night, they haven't found anything.

.

Red Arrow - Roy - is surprisingly calm when he finds out (of course, calm is relative when it applies to someone who's always bursting with rage). He exhales and asks for Rob's last location.

"We already - " Artemis starts, but Roy cuts her off.

"Just give it to me. Now." His tone is rougher than usual, and he's off as soon as he has the information. Wally didn't even have time to say good luck before he was gone.

.

It takes several weeks for Artemis to start being realistic about the situation.

"If he was okay, he'd have shown up by now." She mutters to Kaldur. The leader can't help but nod, even though he doesn't like it any more than she does.

Wally's fingers are wearing down from his constant biting.

.

"Come on, Wally," M'gann tries to smile at him as he fiddles with his goggles, "Why don't we watch something?"

"Huh? Oh," he gives her a quick grin and says, "Sure! I'm game, beautiful."

_(__four months and seven days)_

.

When everyone else is sleeping, Wally goes out running. He starts out broad, running to nearby cities and searching all over, asking about a boy with black hair, about this (he points to his shoulder) tall, and everyone says, _I haven't seen him, sorry_ or even _son, you could be talking about anyone_.

Then he asks about Robin, and they all say the same thing - _it's a damn shame, isn't it? he was so young_, and Wally tries to smile because they don't know any better, but in the end, he runs from them because he doesn't want to admit it.

Conner catches him one night, preparing to go out. He eyes Wally suspiciously, before putting down the carton of milk on the counter, and asks, "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere in particular," Wally grins quickly, fumbling his goggles. "What's up, Supey? You're up pretty late."

"So're you." Conner says bluntly. Wally snorts a bit, despite the situation. He's not sure why he feels like he should be feeling guilty, because he isn't really doing anything wrong. Conner frowns again.

"I'm gonna go out for a little while! Sometimes I get the urge to run, y'know?"

"No."

Well - yeah, okay. Wally chuckles again, and zips over to pat Conner's arm. "Don't worry about it, man." And he's just about to leave, making sure to keep himself casual, when Conner speaks up again.

"Are you still looking?" It takes a bit of effort not to trip over his own feet. He looks back at Conner, whose face is impassive. He isn't even frowning anymore.

Wally forces a smile and says, "Yeah." Turns back towards Conner, shuffles his feet a bit. "I just can't give up, y'know? He's my - best friend."

It takes several minutes for Conner's face to soften. He looks uncertain, and his hand around the milk carton tightens as he says haltingly, "Do you think - there's any chance he's still - ?"

"Of course there is!" Wally exclaims, "This is _Rob_, remember?"

Conner meets Wally's eyes, and Wally has to swallow the nerves that are building up in his chest, tight and painful and - but Conner nods and lets it go. Wally watches him get a glass of milk before zipping away. He doesn't want to think of the possibility of Robin being -

The night air is cool against his skin, and the moisture from the ocean feels nice after the heat that had been building up in his body from nervous jumpiness. He's checking the second half of St. Louis tonight, and everything in him is tensed up.

It's almost been eight months and everyone but him seems to have given up.

.

The last time he saw Rob wasn't anything special. They had finished a mission earlier, and had crashed in Wally's room, playing video games on a tiny TV Wally had commandeered from a yard sale back in Central City. Some kind of fighter game, where Rob kept kicking Wally's ass, and gloating.

In retrospect, he kind of wishes their last time seeing each other had been something a little more special.

.

Eventually even M'gann gives up. The optimism fades from her eyes, and Wally is discouraged, but he keeps looking. She's hesitant to offer him much in the way of advice or positive comments, but she cooks for him.

"You need to keep your strength up!" She smiles, holding a platter of food only slightly burned this time. He grins at her and takes it gratefully.

"You're getting really good!" He enthuses, taking several huge bites of chicken and rice.

She giggles. "I've been practicing."

"It shows." Wally winks at her and keeps eating. She looks at his desk and almost asks, but shakes her head and changes her mind. The map is covered in lines and marks and 'x's, with Wally adding more every night.

_(one year and two months)_

.

Surprisingly, Roy is the last one to lose hope. He searches just as hard as Wally for another year before his frustration finally gets the better of him.

Wally's just grateful Roy kept faith for as long as he did. From then on out, he's on his own.

.

Two more years and everyone meets the second Boy Wonder. He's bold and rough, lacking the techniques, but making up for it in earnestness and excitement.

Wally understands. He knows that there's a need to keep moving, and Batman needs the help reigning in crime in Gotham. He's not upset, but he doesn't accept it.

The only change is that he starts using Rob's proper name - Dick - even though it sounds foreign and awkward coming from his mouth.

.

_(four years and ten months and - )_

.

He starts branching out from the US. There's a whole world to cover, and he's scared it's taken him far too long to reach out to it.

Barry's worried about him, but Wally insists he's fine. He's eating - M'gann makes sure of that - and he's sleeping whenever he can. His grades are fine and - he's fine.

His uncle looks at him for a long time, sadly, before murmuring, "Whatever you say, kiddo."

.

"Perhaps you should take a break, Wally." Kaldur says, putting a hand on Wally's shoulder. It's like the night when they tried to find any sign of Dick, and Wally tries to smile. "It might be best to put this down for a while and catch up on some of your rest. You have been overworking yourself - "

"I'm fine!" Wally laughs, shrugging the hand off his shoulders. "I can handle all this; it doesn't even tire me out."

But it did, and there was so much stuff happening, and no sign of Dick at all - Kaldur sighs and doesn't say anything else.

.

_(five years and one month and two weeks - )_

.

"Why're you still looking?" Conner is watching as Wally pulls on his boots. The redhead looks up at him, surprised.

"What d'you mean, Supey? Why wouldn't I be?"

Conner falls silent, his eyes watching Wally's every move. He finally says, "Do you still - "

"Yeah. I think he's out there. Somewhere." His throat feels strained, he needs to get out of here. Conner looks lost, but Wally doesn't know what do to because he feels the exact same way, but he doesn't want to let this go.

Dick should be here, punching Wally's arm and telling him to stop being such a _girl_ because everything was okay - but there was no one there. It wasn't okay.

He clears his throat and hops to his feet, done with his boots. "I'm gonna get going. See ya." He's gone before Conner has a chance to respond.

.

The team goes their separate ways after several more months. In all honesty, they probably should have a long time ago. Wally's only regret is that he'll have less excuse to eat M'gann's cooking now - she really was getting good.

(cross the UK off the map.

_six years seven months and one week -_)

.

Dick would be twenty this year. Wally smiles to himself, but his eyes burn. He goes out for drinks with Roy, and neither of them say a word.

.

He accepts the cowl and takes on all the duties of his mentor. Barry smiles at him warmly, claps a hand on his shoulder, and Wally smiles at him.

Later, at the party his friends throw for him, there's someone missing, but he doesn't mention it. No one does. Batman's moved on to the third Robin by now. Wally is almost twenty six.

Kaldur smiles at him, and M'gann flies over to him, hugging him. Conner's lips quirk up, and Wally laughs. Artemis smacks his back, and even Roy sends him a small, quick smile.

If Wally squints, he can almost imagine a smaller form with black hair and a bright grin, but - M'gann drags him over to where there's food and Conner hands him a cup of punch awkwardly. There was nothing there.

.

He does his job, and he does it well. He becomes the fastest man in the world, and he earns his keep in the Justice League. He never stops looking.

_(ten years nine months and twenty seven days - )_

_**fin.**_ **  
**


End file.
